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NYC Date: Kiss at the top of the Empire State Building

Valentine's Day is a week away, so love is in the air. One romantic thing Alex and I have always wanted to do is kiss at the top of the Empire State Building. It's beautiful and iconic, and it feels like something all New Yorkers should do.The catch? We're too neurotic: I'm scared of elevators, and Alex is scared of heights. Foiled!But when Coach, inspired by their sensual new fragrance, asked us to share what love means to us, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and finally experience a kiss above our favorite city.The elevator took us up 86 stories. I was nervous (that we'd get stuck in there forever, naturally), but Alex kept me calm.At the top, we were nearly a quarter mile above the ground!We felt giddy to be up there. New York City has been the backdrop of our entire relationship; we met at a party, went on our first date, fell in love, got engaged, got married and started a family in a tiny apartment—all in downtown Manhattan.The views were stunning. (I'd also love to see it on a sparkling sunny day or late at night—the building is open until 2am.)And there's the kiss! We did it!Have you been to the top? Now I know what we've been missing all these years! It was a wonderful morning....now we just had the elevator ride back down. :)

Thank you so much for the encouragement, Coach Love! And, in celebration of love, check out their adorable Facebook app and share the little things you love these days.

so sweet. It's so crazy that we've never been up there. We basically live in the shadow of it. Henry knows it well and points it out from various angles as we walk around our hood. Perhaps we should go up there as a family and perhaps sneak in a kiss....or two...

What a cute, cute post. Super cute and romantic. I have been to the top, but my husband hasn't, so is been a little dream of mine to take him. I agree about the kiss picture. You need to frame that one!

this is an amazing post, joanna. i love each & every photograph. and i'm sort of glad to have finally found someone else who is afraid of elevators! i think they're terrifying. when i was little, my grandma would visit from illinois and take me on little one-night stays at fancy hotels in d.c. where we lived -- a nice trip away from my 5 brothers. but i was so nervous to take the elevators that i'd make my poor grandmother walk up flights and flights and flights of stairs to the room. i feel pretty horrible about it now…but the fear hasn't vanquished completely.

Adorable! My fiance and I were thinking about heading there after watching The Mindy Project and Suits. Both shows featured the Empire State building this week and I realized I have never been to the top! I've spent all these years living across the river staring away at it's beauty.

I recommend going up to the top of Rockefeller Center! Cost less than the Empire State Building, the line is MUCH shorter (I've been 3 times and have never waited more than 15 minutes), and the view is just as amazing!

Lovely pictures! You guys are so cute. I went to NYC for the first time last summer and my friend and I managed to get to the top of the Empire State Building RIGHT as the sun was going down! An incredible view made even better with a sunset. Can't wait to visit again!

It's amazing up there I just love it, I'm from Greece and I visited my aunt last summer and i just HAD to go to the Empire State! :)p.s. you look really great in the pictures! You are a lovely couple :)

This is so sweet!! And I know you're a Mindy Kaling fan - if you haven't yet seen, you have to watch the latest episode, all about romance at the Empire State Building! I think you'll get a kick out of it.

My husband and I were engaged at the top of the Empire State building two Christmases ago. We wrote each other letters, kissed, and then toasted on Broad Street with pink champagne (For all you Cary Grant lovers out there, you'll understand!)

Your photos are adorable! :) I love the Empire State Building. My fiance proposed to me there last March. It was incredibly romantic and I felt so light headed (and from more than just the height). We have since move from Arizona to Brooklyn. :)

you two are adorable! If I were you, I'd be framing one of these sweet shots for our apartment :) Speaking of elevators, we just went up 73 stories to the top of the Westin in Atlanta where we live. There is a revolving restaurant and bar up there! It was totally worth the glass!! elevator ride up.

The college I went to was in the Empire State Building so we went to the top all the time. One of the security guards became my friend and took my sister and me into to spire in our own elevator one time... for free. It will always be a special building to me.(www.awordwithpenelope.com)

did you see the last episode of the Mindy Project? She says that she wants to spend Valentine's Day with her boyfriend at the top of the Empire State Building because it is the most romantic place in the city!

I love your blog, and agree that you and Alex are adorable, but I find some of these sponsored posts heavy handed and not as organic as your non-sponsored posts. I am all for bloggers making a living, and I am not making a blanket statement about all sponsored posts. This is just my two cents, for you to do with what you will! I love your blog!

beautiful! I'm from Denmark but I have been on the top twice (and would love to do it again some day). The first time was at night during a business trip to NYC - where I started to fall in love with one of my colleagues. Next time was in the day with my former colleague, now boyfriend on the vaccation where he proposed to me :) We have now been married for 5 years and have 2 small girls together :)

This was what the last episode of The Mindy Project was all about (the beginning scene is hilarious). I've always wanted to do it, but never did when I lived there. Maybe I'll play tourist and do it the next time I'm in town :-)

that's too cute joanna. i remember the post about elevators and about having not ridden the subway in years, and i must admit i'm jealous! i loathe the subway!

in any case, i haven't been to the ESB, however, i took my boyfriend (an architect) to the top of the rock for his birthday last year. it was crazy foggy out, so they offered all the tourists a chance to change their reservation. so when we got up there, while we couldn't see anything, we were ALL ALONE! it was crazy and straight out of a movie.

ps at top of the rock you can make a reservation! no waiting in line!pss here's the link to a pic of our date: http://tmblr.co/ZlWldvYT8Ujp

How fun - love the pics! I've gone with my then-fiance, now-husband and we much prefer Top of the Rock. Less claustrophobic, nice to see the Empire State Building from up high right across from it and better organized. I always re-direct my friends/family when visiting from out of town to go there vs. the Empire State Building.

You two make me smile, you are so cute! And you look absolutely gorgeous, Joanna!

I have been to the top of the Empire State Building once, when I was a kid, but this post definitely changed my view of it... I think I need to take Andrew back there for a nice smooch! And good grief, that view is amazing!

It is sad to see you go all commercial with this great blog Jo, I have loved your realness and non-advertising way in the past but I think it is time to move on to new and more creative bloggers as sponsors and making money seems to be your main priority these days. Thanks and Bye

I agree with some of the other comments. When a post looks personal and then it's revealed to be sponsored, it makes the post seem disingenuous. I'd rather see sponsored posts that are actually about the fragrance and personal posts separately. The melding of the two is quite a sinister reflection of how capitalism works these days.

that is so stinkin' cute. and you look so beautiful!! ( you've got a pregnancy glow!) i've been to the top, but it was rushed and with a friend of mine, not my hubby, so it didn't have the same effect! but i like reliving my moment thru this post - the pictures are gorgeous and hopefully next time i'm in the city, i'll take the ride up there with my love.

These photos are beautiful! I went to The Top of the Rock when I visited NYC but not the Empire State building. Have you seen the Valentines episode of the Mindy Project which aired Tuesday? She talks all about how how romantic the Empire State Building is.

such a sweet post and the photos are stunning! and i can almost feel your pain in the elevator photo...the idea of going so high up in an elevator even makes my stomach lurch and i don't have a fear of elevators or heights! good for you two for facing your fears!

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Oh no! I hope this was a one-off ... normally I find the relationship between authentic content and advertisting is something you manage really well, but this left a weird taste in the mouth. I wish you all the best, sorry to sound negative.

Joanna, you look more beautiful here than I have ever seen you look!!! Is it the baby in your belly? The adrenaline of conquering your fears? The glow of love??? That incredible coat and your hair looking fantastic? I don't know but WOW!!! I feel like you are getting more beautiful every year I read this blog. :-) xoxops: These photos are so sweet and romantic I feel kind of WEEPY!

Lovely. Next time DH and I go to NYC (stepdaughter lives in the West Village), we're going to have to go up to the top and kiss. Just to know we did it! And...I haven't been to the Empire State Building since I was a child (I was born in Manhattan)!

Adorable!!! I've been to the Empire State Building with my husband (we were still dating) and we did the kiss.This post makes me wanna do again! NYC is special to me too. It is where I met my husband, where we got engaged and where my first child was born. They say Paris, it is the city for romance, for me is New York! Love the city!Quiquiwww.notasinfashion.blogspot.com

I think I speak for most of us here when I saw AWWWWWWWW! That's so cool that you both had to conquer some fears to do something romantic. The pics really show how much you two really care for each other, especially in the face of a little fear/nervousness. Hope you have a great weekend!

gorgeous, stunning photos-- of you and the city!! love this. so glad you guys faced your fears to have this beautiful experience. I'd love to do it myself someday... when I finally get to New York City!

I'm afraid I don't find it very romantic to 'spontaneously' go on a date with a professional photographer in tow to capture the 'personal' moment, in order to sell a fragrance on your blog. Disappointed by this, and I usually love your blog, Jo. Sorry :(

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I agree with Anna. I don't want to criticize and normally enjoy the content ... but... I just had to put in my two cents. The professional hair, makeup and photos denote what this really is - an advertisement. Which is fine I guess, but this is an advertisement masquerading as an authentic post. We are bombarded with enough advertisements, now we have to read between the line of each blog post we read too? The sad thing is that most commenters seem oblivious. No wonder advertisers are doing it. Frustrating. Disappointing. But I too wish you well.

I'm reading some of your old posts... and had to say: I don't know what it is about the photo of you looking at Alex looking through the binoculars, but I think it's the most beautiful photograph I've seen of the two of you! It's so classic and sweet! xoxo